Catalyst Strategic Consultants

OK, so I’m nuts about the Spiritus Chamber Choir. And Tim Schantz – whom I consider to be a great gift to Calgary. And now the Bella Concert Hall at MRU – pictured above. First, the last. Mount Royal University is coming into its own. In 1971, we toured the brand new campus of – […]

The parents out there know there are pure moments that just distill the joy of progeny making their way in the world. Last night, Elaine and I made our way to OCL. Now being told to head for a recording studio east of Chestermere we weren’t expecting what we saw. OCL is a monster. A […]

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older [aren’t we all] but being in restaurants and pubs has grown increasingly alienating. I’m often having meetings in these spaces and I’m finding the newest ones are the most difficult. With some notable exceptions. When I’m there, I want to pay attention to the person I’m there to work […]

Had the distinct pleasure of playing Pelican Hill near Newport Beach, California.  The course is scenic, the company was fulsome but a new addition to my golfing experience was mind altering. Dan made the whole game so much better, it was hard to understate his impact. When Brian Gardiner and I joined Jamie Zimron [LPGA […]

Two great books have appeared on aviation: The Wright Brothers and Skyfaring Early history of powered flight is captivating. Frustrated by not daunted by previous failures of flight, the Wrights exhibited relentless application. They were the Horatio Algers of the air [Alger was average citizen made good!] – ordinary folks from a humble background armed […]

Downturn Survival Stop             whining Drop            your expectations And Roll    with it Custom Upstream Engineering sent this fantastic upbeat message around to its clients at the end of ’15 with a hilarious downturn survival kit. That’s what we’ve needed – someone calling on us all to get with the program Most of the people I work with […]

Many in my world are at the life stage of dealing with [note the tone!] frail aged parents. For THEM, a magnificent new stroke of a book – Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. An uplifting read – really! – for the benefit of the group in question – who are beyond speaking for themselves adequately. […]

Long ago in Edmonton, the Kiwanis service club waited until the crisp fall days to hold Apple day. Apple Day was an ingenious money raiser for the worthy purposes of the Club. In the fall, the McIntosh apples from the Okanagan came in. They were biting, sharp and stunning in their juicy way – sharp […]

We’ve had fun with our Dutch relatives this summer. When Jane married Dennis, he came with – his family! Dad Adrian and Mom Nettie have been over here for a month. Just gone home with a bucket list full of check marks. The natural attractions they craved [and expected!] were produced . They wanted: – […]

Register now to design your roadmap for business growth http://scalingupcalgary.eventbrite.com Tuesday, September 29, 2015 When I took my contact lens out the night before, I searched it to explain my eye irritation. Sure enough, there was a microtear on the margin. Next day, walking in Sidney before boarding the ferry to Anacortes, I realized that […]